Two Stories Follow
by The Great Dane
Summary: What happens after the events of Dragon Age 2? What happens to the champion and the hero of Ferelden? Are they connected? I have a detailed descripton inside the story, multible pairings from both games is planned.
1. Chapter 1

**Two st****ories follow.**

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_Advanced description:_

This is my newest project. I felt a little dissatisfied with the ending of the game Dragon Age: 2, it was a little too rushed.

Therefore I have decided to try and make my own continuation of this story. This will still mainly resolve around the Champion of Kirkwall, but will also spring off to other characters situation.  
I came up with the title "Two Stories" based on Dragon Age: 2's own semi-title "Story within a story." In the game Varric the dwarf told the story of the protagonist Hawke to the chantry seeker Cassandra Pentagast. This story will also aside Hawke have Varric as the other focus of attention but he will not tell this story, he will discover it.

In the story I will refer to "the wanderers" and "the followers" this will be the different groups and their basic goal.  
_I must now apologize if there's any errors in the text, point them out and I shall edit them.  
_For those of you who want my in-game decisions from all three titles, here they are:

Origins:  
The Warden is named Thea Amell, she's related to the Champion.  
She romanced (un-hardened) Leliana.  
She did not kill Flemeth in Morrigan's personal quest.  
The Circle of Magi was saved.  
Connor was saved from the Demon using the circle's aid.  
The warden did not defile the ashes of Andraste; she didn't harm the High Dragon either.  
She cured the werewolves of the Brecilian forest and recruited the Dalish elves into the army.  
She destroyed the Anvil of the Void and crowned Lord Harrowmont the new king of Orzammar.  
In the landsmeet she spared Loghain and crowned Alistair king beside Anora.  
_For my own little edit to the story Morrigan never offered the ritual to Thea because Thea is openly against any sort of dark magic, she's a do-gooder but she can bend her morale depending on the cases she face. Instead Morrigan went directly to Loghain who later revealed to Thea what he had agreed to do._

Awakening:  
The recruited all the possible companions.  
She saved Amaranthine.  
She killed the Architect.

Dragon Age 2:  
My min character in this game is also named Thea, so I will refer to them each as _Hawke and Amell_ when they meet, but as long as they are in each their companies they will be named Thea. (This will happen later on in the story.)  
In Dragon age 2 Thea romanced Merrill and supported her through he entire process of restoring the Eluvian.  
She managed to befriend all the companions max. (It's true!)  
Bethany went into the deep roads with her sister and was made a Grey Warden with Ander's help.  
Anders was later killed though due to his terrorist action towards the chantry. (Sorry Anders Fans)  
She still sided with the mages and not one companion backed out on her. Not even Fenris. (It's true!)

Okay, so now that, that's been settled I can tell you that I do not plan to cross the paths of the warden and the champion too soon, and the warden will not be an active part of the story before this happens.  
There will be mention of several know characters from all three titles in this story.

Pairings:

Important to a fanfic!  
There will be several pairings. Of the friendly sorts you will see Varric/Leliana actually, as well as wardens hound/champions hound.

Of the romantic sort I will obviously follow up on the romances from both games which were Warden/Leliana and Champion/Merrill, both same sexes.  
I'm also considering Sebastian/Bethany but that is just an idea so far.

There may come more, I'm not planning anything big up until now.

Progress:

I hope this will work better than my previous projects in Dragon Age: Origins and Harvest Moon, mostly it comes down to reviews, if you like my story please review it and share it if you know any who might like it, and I'm dying for a fan base!

I cannot promise that the story will always make sense, I am not big into all the codexes and the details of the game, but I am a huge fan of the series.  
I hope this will be as great for you as it is for me. I'm quite a bit more excited about this project that the others I tried to work on.  
Right then, sorry for the many details, please continue down to the actual story!

**The seeker and the merchant.**

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Varric scratched his chin, he was uneasy about Cassandra's questioning about his dearest friend. "Oy, Edwina another pint!" He yelled from his room. To be true he did actually miss the girl. And all the others. The only one from the old gang he met regularly was Aveline who had stayed with the guard. Isabella came by now and then when she was in town. Actually, he felt lonely.

"Buy me a drink?" A creamy accent came from the door to his room, it opened and he instantly recognized the uniform of the seekers. It wasn't Cassandra though. "Huh, are you 'seeking' me again?" He asked back to her. "What do you want? Your colleague already questioned me and I still have no idea where the champion is." The red haired woman sat down in front of him and tossed a small pouch of coins towards him. "You are a merchant, yes? This is a deal you and I make, not you and the chantry." Varric didn't hesitate to cut open the pouch, with his dagger, to reveal its contents. "I still don't know anything seeker, but I can perform other services if you need…?" She stood up and looked into the fireplace. "I think you can still help me though. I am going to bring you on an expedition to find her. I think she can lead me to what I search for." Varric now took the pouch and started counting the amount of cash in it. All the coins were sovereigns. "Well, I can go with you, but I cannot just summon her. Tell me what you have in mind." She turned towards him again, she had not expected the quick change of mind, but then again she had always had a hard time at predicting dwarves. "My name is Leliana, I am right hand to the divine, but I still need to find something I think your champion can locate. If you tell me the last thing you remember the champion telling you, I might be able to follow up the leads to get to her." Varric sat back, this was his comfortable stance, "Hrm, I will need to know what you search for first, I have been backstabbed a number of times where my partners had left out the details."  
"The Hero of Ferelden." Leliana answered and turned her head, this even made Varric's jaw drop for once. "The Hero of Ferelden! Do you chantry people just assume they go to a heroes club somewhere or what? Why would the champion get you to her?" Leliana put down a poster sized piece of paper on Varric's desk and unrolled it. "Look at this, they share grandparents, they are related!" Leliana pointed at the names, both seemed to be sort of scratched out, like they were denied the place in the family records. Varric stood up from his chair and grabbed the edge of the table. "Thea Amell and Thea Hawke? By the beard of my brother, you're right… They share names too…" Leliana crossed her arms in triumph; she had heard rumors about Varric and was pleased to be able to surprise him. "I knew that the Hero of Ferelden was a mage, but that she should be an Amell? How did I miss that, they're almost cousins… How come she was in the circle of magi in Ferelden and not Kirkwall?" Varric pointed out. "I do not know, but I know… I need to find her, and it can't just be coincidence that the two most important women in recent history both disappear."  
Varric sat down again and answered. "Your colleague said the same thing, now I'm starting to think that too… But I have a question. Cassandra was after the Champion for political and religious reasons, why do you seek the warden?" Leliana again turned her back to the dwarf; it was obvious she did this when she hid something. "I knew her once…" Varric suddenly got interested, "You don't say? Since you would go to these lengths to find her that relationship must be pretty intimate, no?" "Okay, okay," Leliana placed her hands on top of the table and looked down at the name of her friend, "We were lovers… Girlfriends even. We stayed together for a long time and then suddenly she… Vanished… Without a trace, the only known thing is that she took two wardens and her dog with her." Varric was not affected by the sad atmosphere, he was rather entertained actually. "No kidding? That's great!" Leliana looked up from the paper and into his eyes, "what?" Varric laughed, then stopped and continued. "Did you know the champion prefer women too?" "What?" "Yeah, so far as I know they would follow each other to the end of the world! Merrill was a charm…" "Merrill? Wasn't that the dark haired apostate that was with her and the Vael boy in the chantry?" Leliana remembered her encounter with the champion and the Starkhaven prince those many years ago. "The chantry?" Varric repeated her words. "You mean when she did that princely business with Sebastian? Probably, she took her girlfriend everywhere… Actually I think Sebastian Vael is our best link to find her too."  
Varric brought up the book of the legend of the champion and hit a page that showed Sebastian and a detailed description of his involvement. Leliana looked at it and responded, "Prince Sebastian? Why?" Varric once more leaned back into his 'story telling' position and started. "Well, let me tell you the last I remember of the Champion, then we can discuss our deal further afterwards." "That will work," she replied, "Okay then, well, after the big showdown…"

_So that's it for the first chapter, in the next I will begin the __champions' further story; hope you'll look forward to that._


	2. Chapter 2

**Split up.**** V 1.0**

_Okay so__ I did actually intend to update the story sooner, but somehow this chapter just seemed to keep growing, so I split it up. The split of the chapter is not why it has gotten that name though; it's the following events of the champions' story.  
Added the 24 march: So apparently someone found a way to work around the type 2 error on this page, i should be ableto upload my new chapters now._

They had just finished Anders' funeral. The team stood by his grave, Sebastian and Fenris a bit in the back. The decision to end his life had not been easy for Thea; Anders had saved a lot of people, both unknown and important ones. He had led them to the wardens in the deep roads so they could save Bethany. He had helped Bartrand get back to his own self and of course been the one who healed them all several times, even Fenris. But none of it was excuse enough for what he had done; the magical bomb that utterly demolished the chantry and all the innocent people within.

"Why did he have to do such a terrible thing?" Bethany sobbed and clinged to her sisters' arm. "It is not the action itself that hurts but the fact that he actually intended to kill all those people… He just couldn't keep that spirit within him under control." Thea padded Bethany on the head, she looked down to her other side where Merrill stood – and sobbed too. In the midst of all the horror Thea did find comfort in knowing her love had been spared a similar fate.

It was strange seeing how strong Merrill felt for her fellow mage; he had been the one who had been criticising her demon business the most, aside Fenris, and she was the only one who openly wanted to keep him alive.

"Allow me," Merrill reached into her pocket at started digging a little hole above Anders grave. "Hey cut it out Kitten, that is unrespectable, even I know that!" Isabella gestured to get her away but Thea waved to her to let it go. Merrill slipped an object into the small hole and covered it with the dug up dirt again. "Planting a tree over a grave is a Dalish custom." Merrill told her. "Oh." Isabella looked down at the spot, "well, I suppose the ground was already dug-up, it doesn't look any more messed up now anyway…"

As the others started to leave Thea was left with only her sister and Merrill. "Come on you two, I have to talk to you…" They both let go of each their arm, Merrill switching to hold her hand instead though. "What is it sister?" Bethany asked. Thea looked at Bethany again; her arrival in the fighting had been the happiest thing that had happened to her since she asked Merrill to move in with her. "I want to leave Kirkwall." Thea turned her head away from her sister and looked down on the ground. "What? But where will you go? And what about all your efforts to rise our family name above Lowtown standards?" "Ma vhenan?" Merrill added. "I'm not sure, I want to talk to the others one at the time and see what each of them wants to do now and then decide." "Well, you know me; I follow wherever you go love." Thea smiled back to Merrill, "I know." "If you think it's wise; then go ahead, but why do you say that to us, you know what we are going to do." Thea hugged her sister with her free arm and continued. "You're going back to the wardens?" Bethany smiled and responded; "No way, I'm going with you!" "What? But what about your oath?" "Ah, sister no one among our group keep their oaths you know, I don't need to either. I don't exactly enjoy being a warden, despite their good intentions; what I ever wanted was to just be with my family… That's you or uncle now… I know which I'd pick…" She giggled and wrapped her arm around her sisters' waist in response to the hug. "Are you sure though? They did save you? And wouldn't you just go back to live 'in my shadow' again?" "No, **you** saved me, had anyone but you been there I would just have been left behind to die – or just killed." "That's not-" "I think it's a great idea!" Merrill interrupted cheerfully. "*sigh* Well, I guess I just have to check in with the others then and call them all out for a meeting. Please don't mention this to any of them, I don't want to alert them before I confront them myself.

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"You're partners now?" "What? It's not like I'm cheating on you girly." Varric replied. "Oh, I don't mean it like that, it just seemed a little surprising to me…" Thea sat down in front of Varric and Isabela, in Varric's room in the hanged man, their favourite spot in the city. "I have a ship now champ, should I just sail the seas wildly or what did you expect?" Isabella placed three cups filled with a brown fragrant liquid on Varric's table. "Sorry, the moment of surprise caught me off guard; congratulations then." "Well we might not be the most ideal type of partners, but we both have a function that we can work together with. I have the contacts to the Orzammar underground and Isabela's got the ship." While Varric was talking, Thea checked the liquid thoroughly before taking a sib. "It may be risky, but you know us, we handle such matters like a charm!" "A toast then, to partnership!" They all raised their glasses, "just don't put too much into this Varric I'm not about to marry you because of some lyrium." "My only love is still Bianca my dear, you don't have to worry about personal commitment to me, anyway; what about you Hawke? Do you plan to stay on with Daisy?" Thea took a deep breath before revealing her plan, she had been with these people for so many years now, it seemed much more difficult to tell them of the end that awaited than she had thought it would be just minutes ago. "My plans are actually the reason why I wanted to talk about yours…" "Huh, you're usually not one to have a loss of words, and that's coming from me…" Varric looked as worried as he could, still; it looked more like he was about to make a giggle. "I plan on leaving Kirkwall… Bethany and Merrill will both be going with me…" She tightened her grab around the cub.

"Leave? Like I'll never get to see you again!" It was oddly relieving to actually get a reaction from him; somehow it made it a little easier to talk about. "Yes, I have realized that the influence I have gained and the fame that has fallen on my name is not only positive. Both Bethany and Merrill have been kidnapped recently and both were being threatened to be killed... With influence comes a price, I'm not sure I'm willing to pay that price. Not even if it means giving up on the estate." "And what about us! I know you and the kitten are as close as two girls can get to be wives in this land, but do you really have to leave the rest of us behind to keep her safe?" "You're leaving too Isabela, or did I get you wrong?" "Not permanently, no…" An awkward silence fell upon them, both Varric and Isabela kept their gaze planted on Thea's face. "It is not by my wish that we part ways, I was going to ask if you'd tag along, but I don't want to drag you away from your lives… I'm already afraid I'm doing that to Bethany." "Bethany doesn't seem to enjoy that life anyway…" Isabela added, "you know what; if you promise me that we will see you again I will let you, your sister and kitty go." She winked and rose to walk away from them both.

"Varric, I want to meet with the whole party tomorrow at the base of Sundermount, that will be where we depart, whether you like it or not." "You know, when I proposed my idea of partnership back in the day I didn't think it would grow so personal on me to keep it, but you Hawke, you're a special case. Are you sure you won't stay back and kick some templar boot when they arrive again?" Varric smiled and brought Bianca up from behind his chair. "My girlfriend and my sister are both apostates Varric. Even though I wouldn't mind fighting a bit more with you I must face that there is more at stake than my own skin now. They will try to exploit it, and to avoid that I have to leave… Bodhan and Sandal are leaving for Orlais in a few days, they will bring Orana with them too. I wanted to ask you to help my uncle with looking out for the estate while I'm gone, in case I should decide to return." Varric sighed and rose from his chair now too. "You know Hawke, aside myself you're the most determined mind I have ever met… A templar army couldn't keep you from saving a bunch of mages… Tell you what; if you promise me that I will see you again some day I will gladly keep your uncle from selling the mansion again!" "Can I borrow thirty silver?" "If you can-? Why? Don't you have like a hundred sovereigns at home?" "Please?" Varric growled and reached into his pocket and threw the coins at the table. "I still don't get what for!" "Now I owe you thirty silver! You'll get them back one day." "What do you- Ah, I see… Very clever girly, now get out of here before I demand them back!"

They departed and Thea headed for Hightown this time, she caught a glimpse of Isabela robbing the counter while the attendant looked away before leaving the bar.

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"I remember Isabela…" Leliana brushed her hand across the picture of her in the book, "from what Cassandra told me she did get a new ship… How long is it since you have seen her?" Varric looked up with a mild disturbance on his face; he didn't like to be interrupted. "She was here half a month ago, the only reason I tell you of our business is because you don't seem to lie when you say that this is personal for you." "If you manage to find the champion with me I won't tell anyone about your work, both our goals are clear; you want money and I my love." "Correction, we both want the champion!" "Why do you say that?" "You want her so you can find your love; I want her because she owes me thirty silver!" "*sigh* would you please stop these jokes and just continue?" "You were the one to interrupt me seeker, but as you wish…"

_So that's it, the last part of the chapter will likely be about he same size, but I might split that up too, well I hope you liked this chapter and like where it is going._


	3. Chapter 3

**Split up. V 1.****2**

"I cannot go with you this time Thea." "You said that twice now Aveline" "That's because you asked twice. No, my life is here, and while I would gladly follow you into the deep roads for a time I cannot just leave for good. My husband is here, we're going to live together like you and Merrill soon, I can't just leave behind what I have worked so hard to achieve." "I understand... Will you at least meet for a goodbye tomorrow at Sundermount?" "I wouldn't miss it!" Aveline crossed her arms and turned her back to Thea. She couldn't see it, but Thea could just sense the smile Aveline had across her face, she was her most loyal friend, despite her doubtful activities such as going deep into the ground and crossing the fade, she had stood behind her the entire time. Thea turned from her friend too and headed across the room to meet with Sebastian.

"By the maker Thea, I dare say that you and the captain are not much for long goodbyes." He smiled at her, she sensed another kind of trust from him, ever since she had executed Anders, Sebastian seemed to have increased his combat, it felt like he wanted to keep her more safe now. "What are you going to do now Sebastian? Help rebuild the chantry?" Sebastian looked into her eyes; he was very good at calming people just by looking at them. "No." "What? Didn't you say that you wanted to stay a brother before this whole thing started?" "I did, but I have come to realise that I must sacrifice more now. I know I have skipped back and forth between going to Starkhaven and staying here, but now I have made up my mind." Sebastian turned to a map of the Free Marches that was hanging on the wall beside them. "I'm going to go to Starkhaven, being a part of this mage uprising has opened my eyes." "To the mage oppression?" "No, to the loss of lives. A similar confrontation can cause mass killings in my home too. I want to prevent that, if it will be as a brother or as a prince only time will tell, but right now I'm determined to get to Starkhaven, there must be something I can do…"  
"Didn't the circle in Starkhaven burn down a couple of years ago?" "Indeed, but they are rebuilding, no doubt a lot of the mages in the area will oppose going back… Perhaps there should even be tried new methods than another circle…" He paused and looked down at his bow, then changed the topic. "I know Anders meant a lot to you, I have talked with your sister and she explained to me what he did for her in the deep roads. I may never be able to do such a deed, but I would do anything within my power if you would come along and help me out in Starkhaven." Thea was actually quite relieved; Sebastian had plans that could work with her own. "I had actually planned to leave Kirkwall behind now anyway…" "Really? I would have thought you would stay and sort out the pieces of the city?" "No, I have helped the mages, Anders actions convinced me that I don't want to stay in the centre of this crisis. I endanger those I care for the most right now… Merrill and Bethany are more important to me than any coin, any battle won or any political influence I might be able to have in this city." "Then why would you come to Starkhaven?" "I can at least help you out there, but mark my words; if it endangers them as much to be there as here I won't hesitate to leave Starkhaven too." "I understand… Thank you my friend, your support through this whole mess is probably the only reason why I haven't shot myself yet." "You know Sebastian; if you should end up being a king in that city of yours I don't think you would do too badly." "Aye, perhaps you are right. I will meet you with the rest of the group tomorrow as planned; then we will leave to meet the future." "Agreed." They shook hands before departing, Aveline was standing in the doorway biting her lower lip, she knew the two most trustworthy of her friends had just decided to leave her city together.

"Ah, Hawke, I was wondering when you would come see me, you have a strange ability to show up when I feel most chatty." Chatty wasn't a word Fenris had used before. "Softening a little are we?" She replied and smiled. "Heh, I could have sworn I just used the two last days fighting for a bunch of mages I don't even care for. Did that really happen or is it the drink that's getting to my head?" He threw an empty wine bottle at the wall, as he used to when there wasn't anything of use in them anymore. "Mhm, then that drink must be the one called 'Thea Hawke Liquor?' It's really quite good!" "Ah, my friend you know I hate when you give me those undertones of flirting. Did you leave your mages at home?" They both laughed and sat down, Fenris could actually be quite humorous, you just needed to empty a few bottles of that whine and what-not into his throat first. "Are you feeling a little at a loss now?" Thea said and grabbed the full bottle he had just left on the table and took a deep sip. "Don't I always? Perhaps more now than usually, but I think that is because you are at a loss too, am I right?" "Very right, do you know what you will do now?" "The other times you asked me that I ended up following you, why do you think I would act differently this time?" "Well, you know… It just feels more like an end now than all the other showdowns we have been a part of up until now…" "Are you implying an end to our time together?" "No, maker, don't think I'm about to leave you-" "So you do intend to leave the city then?" "I-" Fenris had from the start been a master of judging cases, he was almost like a mind reader. "I will tell you what I have told you before, you are my only friend in this world; I will gladly follow you anywhere until I find some sort of purpose of my own. If I didn't feel that way I would probably have sided against you and the mages." "And you will be willing to follow me **and** my mages?" "Yes. You know that I don't trust mages entirely, and that demon business Merrill had going on didn't exactly make me feel any less judgemental of mages, but none of them you have travelled with so far have hurt me – not even Anders." "Can we not talk of him?" "Of course, I apologize."

Some silence fell upon them again. "You know, I never really liked living here…" He stated. "Don't you like the view?" "I do, but as you know even the prettiest things can contain great powers." "Well, who's implying flirting now?" "I'm still not sure if it is the right thing for me to travel with a bunch of mages and mage sympathizers like you, or if it's healthy for you to be intimate with one of them, but what has shaped our friendship mainly seems to be respect, even for our opposite opinions, I will respect your personal life." "Thank you Fenris." "Say hello to them from me…"

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"So, she left half her entire party behind?" Leliana drew a circle around Fenris' picture in the book. "Yep, me Aveline, and Isabela stayed behind and picked up the pieces after the rebellion. Now mages rule the lower streets, circled in by templars in Hightown and the Gallows." "Yeah, it has almost been a standstill since reinforcements arrived for both sides." "It must be petty darn dangerous for a chantry girl like you to hang around here isn't it?" "I can handle myself…" "So I hear, care to hear the rest of what happened before she departed?" "Sure, let's get the rest Varric…"


	4. Chapter 4

_All right, next up is this lovely chapter, let's have the sisters' Hawke catch a little up, shall we?_

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_**Sisters' talk.**

The door opened to the Hawke mansion, some of the furniture was covered with white sheets by now and all the things that belonged to the dwarves and Orana had been packed. "Hello." Thea threw her fancy armour in the corner of the dining room. "Hello? You usually leap into my arms when you come home…" Merrill stood up from her seat at the table. "Yes, the 'hello' is from Fenris, this is from me…" She embraced Merrill and kissed her passionately. "Do they always act like this…? I mean so openly when there's other's here?" Bethany asked Bodhan. "Always. Or at least Messere Thea does, Mistress Merrill usually asks her to come with her into another room if she takes the initiative." "Girls are pretty!" Sandal added to that. "Sometimes I wonder if it's good for the boy to watch such acts, he tried to mimic their kiss with the dog once!" Bethany giggled to the comment and sat down with the rest of them. "Orana come here and sit with us too!" Thea yelled at the kitchen door. "I'm so sorry Mistress, did you need something?" Orana came skipping into the room and bowed her head politely. "As I said; sit down, I want to talk to you." "Am I allowed?" "Yes, just do it already!" Thea petted their dog, Champ, and looked around the table. It was good to have the entire household together at once, and it was great to have Bethany back, it was like she filled a missing piece after mother's death.

Thea revealed her plans; "Okay, there is a small change of plans, we will travel with Sebastian to Starkhaven to begin with and help him out there." "Starkhaven? That's where the circle was burned down isn't it?" Bethany looked a bit worried. "It is, considering the resent circumstances, Starkhaven is probably the one place besides Ferelden that will have the smallest uprising of mages; they don't have any." "Yes and the circle in Ferelden is free of he chantry, they have no reason to rebel." Bodhan added. "True, still some f the mages may wish to travel to foreign countries to help their fellow mages. They are not entirely secure from the templars either. But that isn't what I wanted to talk about. Are you two okay with this plan?" She focused her attention towards the mages on each side of her and continued, "We haven't exactly planned anything specific yet, but I assume we will travel on foot over Sundermount and cross the other Vimmark Mountains to get to the Wildervale lowlands." "Is it dangerous there?" Merrill quickly asked. "Well, we have been to Sundermount a couple of times and tasted the dangers of both mountainside and surrounding caves, I can only assume that the rest of the mountains in the Vimmark chain are as dangerous. Wildervale should be less dangerous though, from what Sebastian has told me that is mostly farmlands without much more than the occasional beast." "Varric once told me that the lands on the other side of the mountains are called 'the bread basket of Thedas!'" Bodhan stated. "They make food!" Sandal clarified. "Yeah, I heard that too, they make most of the grain that is made into bread for the people across Thedas, me and Fenarel once went with Haren Paivel to trade food on the other side of the mountains." "So you know the way across Merrill?" "I may remember it when I see it, but don't we risk running into my clan if we go that way?" "Don't worry; I received a letter from that Haren Paivel where he tells me that they have gone back to the new Dalish land by Ostagar in Ferelden. I think he sent it to me because they wanted to make sure you wouldn't follow actually." Merrill got very quiet, Thea chose not to go further into that topic for now and just squeezed her hand gently. Bethany continued the travel plans; "A couple of years ago I went with the wardens to Hasmal up north to go west to Nevarra by the river, if we can get to that city or possibly Tantervale we might be able to hire a ship to take us eastwards to Starkhaven, by river too, that should be a shorter journey than to travel directly there over land." "Excellent, we have to go through some forests on the other side of the great lakes to go to either city though, but I think we'll manage." "I know we will." Bethany took Thea's other hand and squeezed it in a like manner as Thea had just done Merrill's.

Thea turned her attention to the servants; "When will you leave tomorrow Bodhan?" "As soon as you Messere, we will be there for a proper good bye and then we will head seawards to Val Royeaux with Orana. We have gotten a job for her for one of the empresses assistants, Sandal will be with his new job and I can finally focus on gaining a trade deal with the king in Orzammar. I might even fund an expedition to go to Kal Sharok!" "That's great, I had actually hoped to convince you to travel with me, but it's good to see you excited about this as well." "Well, if it wasn't because of this opportunity I might have gone with you Messere." "Will I have to go with Bodhan Mistress?" Orana questioned, "I would have liked to go with you…" "Don't you like Bodhan, Orana?" "I love Bodhan, he's almost like papa, just shorter, but I also love you…" "That's very sweet Orana but I will be travelling through dangerous places for a long time now, I won't put you in danger, besides that you would rather stay inside in a ship rather than camp around with me, yes?" "Yes…" "Good, don't worry about me, we might see each other again some day too." "I hope so…"

Later on Thea managed to get to hang out alone with Bethany in the gardens for a while. "Hello sister," she just said. "Having second thoughts about leaving the wardens?" "Perhaps, but I have already left them, plenty of wardens live outside the order anyway…" "You know some other than Anders?" "Yeah, the Warden Commander of Ferelden, our cousin; also known as _the Hero_ of Ferelden. She haven't been actively in the order since I joined, I had hoped to meet her when that happened…" "I had almost forgotten that we are in family with her, what do you think she's like?" Thea and Bethany looked at each other while forming their opinions in their heads. "She must be brave to kill an Archdemon…" Bethany started. "And charismatic, I've read she's a great leader." Thea continued. "I bet she's pretty…" "Why's that?" "Well, we are pretty and mother was pretty, the portraits of aunt Revka show that she's pretty too." "I guess you are right then…" A short pause. "But most of all I bet she's very forgiving. Did you know she was recruited into the order because she was betrayed by her best friend? Later on she found him in a dungeon and let him run. She also spared Teyrn Loghain of Gwaren when she had beaten him in a duel; she let him join the order." "Ugh, I'd have given half my right arm just to get the killing blow on that guy." "Yeah, he's the reason we ended up in Kirkwall…" "Hm, perhaps we should be grateful then…" They smiled at each other and looked into the sky to watch the stars. "It's relieving to be back by your side again sister… I love you." Bethany leaned in and rested her head on Thea's shoulder before continuing, "Did you know that you and the Hero of Ferelden have the same name?" "Amell?" "No silly, Thea, I think you are both named after someone else in our family…" "…I didn't know that, no…" "I have read a lot about our cousin, she has blonde hair like you, blue eyes like you and she is of course very strong like you." "But I am not a mage…" "I guess that's the one difference you two have then…" Another short pause while Thea gently stroked Bethany on the cheek. "Is she dead?" "Dead?" Bethany repeated, "Not likely, I know I wouldn't want to survive an Archdemon just to die ten years later you know… But she has disappeared; I heard the last they saw of her was here in the Free Marches together with a mabari and two other wardens." "Who's with her?" "Her two closest friends within the order, at least that's what the other wardens told me. About the same time she disappeared, her long time ally Oghren, who helped her defeat the blight and later became a warden together with Anders and Nathaniel Howe, also went missing. The other is most likely former Teyrn Loghain, a week or two after their disappearance he went outside Val Royeaux and went missing too, many speculate that the commander picked up her two strongest warden-friends and went on some sort of mission with them." "You have really read into her story haven't you?" "Some of it is my own conclusions as well; this I tell you is what I personally find most likely – but yes, I am fascinated by her…" "Are those two and her dog the only ones she brought you think?" "Well, two other wardens named Velanna and Sigrun also went missing, they were recruited by her, but they have been missing from even before the commander herself… I was told they went into the deep to die…" "I see."

Bethany changed the topic; "What about you sister?" Bethany smiled teasingly and looked up at Thea. "What about me? I'm not a warden?" "I mean you and Merrill…" "Oh, well that, uhm…" Thea blushed - when she looked into Merrill's eyes she never had any trouble acting romantic, but when confronted by others about her, her tongue would twitch. "Have you always liked _girls_?" "I have always liked Merrill, that's as much as I make of it." "So you never considered others? Not even a man?" "Why are we talking about this again?" "Because it's exciting! I would talk about our male colleagues with the other women in the order; I actually made some friends there…" "Well, Anders did come on to both of us didn't he, but other than that I never considered anyone else, why would I?" Bethany changed the topic. "I talked to Merrill before we went into the deep roads those many years back, she told me the story about her friends Tamlen and Mahariel which went missing before the blight…" "Yeah, she told me that story countless times, one of her big tragedies." "Do you think Merrill loved her? That Mahariel girl I mean or maybe Tamlen?" "No, from what she told me they were just her only friends, they were pretty much engaged at that time." "Mahariel and Tamlen?" "Yes, Merrill told me she actually asked the keeper to be the one to perform their marriage ceremony." "What a tragic fate for them…" "Well, there is a hint of romance in the thing about 'dying together' too…" "That's horrible!" A pause before Bethany went back on gossiping, "But how did it come to this? Surely you didn't imagine you and Merrill together when we met her, right?" "I didn't imagine anything back then, then I pretty much only thought about how to make a name for ourselves and bring you and mother the safety you deserved… When I lost you I opened a bit more up to our friends and I eventually grew fonder of her than the others." "So… It just happened? Just like that?" "Pretty much…" "That's lame; I had imagined a big tragedy and a weeping confrontation…" "Well that did happen too, that's what triggered it I suppose…" "Tell me!" Bethany squirmed and giggled. "Well, we went to get a carving tool for her so she could fix a mirror… We had to deal with a huge monster known as a Vaterral… It killed one of her former clan mates in front of us… He ran right into it by the sight of Merrill…" "Because of her blood magic?" "Yeah… We obviously killed the beast and returned to get the tool. I gave it to her; I always supported her as you know… After that she visited me here at the mansion and told me that she doubted her decision to leave her clan… I comforted her and told her that I was happy she had left…" Thea stopped and bit her lower lip. "And…?" Bethany grabbed Thea's dress and shook her. "And what? I'm not going to reveal any intimate details to you sister, but as you might imagine that's where one thing lead to another…" Bethany blushed a bit and giggled again, "Tee-hee, I sometimes wonder if I will ever meet a man I can love…" "Why shouldn't you?" "I don't know. I just never really imagined myself as a girlfriend kind of type…" "You're pretty, cute and honest, you could land yourself any man you wished!" "Oh, th-thanks… And thank you for this, it was really good to get a talk with you tonight…" Bethany, who by now had laid her head in Thea's lap, rose and went inside. "Good night sister, I'll meet you tomorrow…" "Yeah, tomorrows the day we leave… Again…" After a pause and Bethany had left Thea finished her line, "but this time we are not running for you sister, this time we're running for me…"

Thea finally went inside too, to get some sleep before the coming day. "Ma Vhenan?" Merrill murmured while turning around in their bed. "Yes, it's me sweetheart, get some sleep, tomorrow will be a long day…" Merrill sat up in the bed and jumped on top of Thea once she got in. "To the beyond with tomorrow! This might be the last night in a while where we can be together – we will be living the camping life from tomorrow on!" "Oh? Someone's spirited tonight?" "W-well I just didn't want to miss this if we're going to travel with your sister and Sebastian from now on… I don't want to bother them…" "And Fenris." "Fenris?" "Yes, he's coming along too." "Oh, I see… that's good!" "You really mean that don't you?" "Of course, I don't think ill of him…" "You are too forgiving love…" "Well, you're the one bringing him with us." "True…" "Ma Vhenan, let's just think of each other for now." "Ah, you do make a convincing argument…" Thea raised her body from its lying state to get a final passionate kiss before going intimate…

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_"Why do I need to know these details?" Leliana crossed her arms and avoided the puzzling look the barmaid in the background gave her. "Well, Aveline was her most trusted companion and Sebastian was the one to ask her for help, that Fenris chose to follow is quite-" "I don't mean that, why do you insist on going into details with the champion and the elf's relationship?" "Oh, that's just a bonus!" "A bonus! I'm here to find her, not to hear how she makes love to her girlfriend!" "Ah, but you have this kind of experience yourself, don't you?" "That is not important, I-" "Relax, I will continue onward with the last day at Sundermount now…"_

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_

_The most massive chapter yet, I hope you liked it.  
__I know there has been __**a lot**__ of dialogue and so on, but I find it important that I get the setting right for the story.  
__- Next up will be an extra chapter with a more… Adult nature, I advise that those who don't want to read anything sexual will have to skip it.  
__And now I'm going to sleep for four hours before I'm heading with the school to Prague in the Czech Republic, only for a few days though, so I hope to continue this story once I'm home again.  
__I have also already written the fifth chapter, but to be a tease I will keep it to myself for now, when that begins the real story will start to unfold.  
__Thanks for reading and please keep supporting my works._


	5. eXXXtra chapter

**Sleepless night**

**WARNING**

_This chapter I write as smexual relief for those of you who want *Merrill Bedtime!*_

_I cannot guarantee the quality in my description of these… intimate actions… I am male and have never… Been… With two females at the same time, but given my 'experience' with other "femslash fanfics" I can hope to do the act of lovemaking between two girls some justice._

_The writing of this chapter has been my most challenging to date, I can't help but feel like a little teenage boy watching his first adult material when I re-read and edit it. I hope it isn't too awkward to read, and I will say, please, if you want to review my story please tell me how I did, this sort of situation is the one I'm the least experienced with._

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Thea pulled off the covering blanket on her partner and positioned herself in front of her. "Ma Vhenan, when I moved in here I would never had thought I would be sad to leave it again." Merrill gently petted Thea's cheek. "You never really felt at home here did you?" "I- I didn't wish to alert you, but yes, I suppose growing up as a Dalish without any home of our own it's hard to settle for one place for too long for me." "Shhh," Thea pressed her index finger against Merrill's lips, "Kirkwall was never really my home either. Now, let us leave the future for tomorrow and embrace what we have now in the moment, okay?" Merrill slowly nodded without saying anything. Thea moved a little further away from her and grabbed her by the end of Merrill's nightgown and pulled it off of her. "No underwear?" Thea teasingly noted while pulling her own finery off along with her underwear. Merrill looked shyly away and covered her breasts. Despite many years of experience in these kinds of actions with each other she still behaved like a virgin in bed – a thing Thea enjoyed to bits. "Let's make this night last…" Thea whispered into Merrill's ear before nipping at its tip. She gently ran her index finger from the position on Merrill's mouth downwards and positioned it just above Merrill's arms, Merrill still covering her breasts. Merrill moaned lightly. "Do you fear me Merrill?" Thea asked while leaning forward, lying Merrill down into the bed. "Never…" Merrill just replied before removing her arms and resting her hands on Thea's thighs. Access granted and Thea continued her hands venture down onto Merrill's right breast, gently cupping it and positioning the nipple just between the index and middle finder. She moved her head from its teasing position by the pointy ear down to the elf's long slender neck where she gently planted a series of kisses simultaneously as she squeezed her partners' breast gently. Merrill took a deep breath and tried to hold in her gasps, being too eager seemed to appear shameful to her. "Let it go love…" Thea continued while kissing her way up Merrill's chin and cheek. Her hand now abandoning its breast and slowly make its way down lower. Placing her hand just on the inside of Merrill's thigh, beside her womanhood but stopping there Merrill opened her eyes and looked disappointed down while finally letting a few gasps slip out. "You stopped?" She looked into Thea's eyes. Thea couldn't help but giggle a bit; she knew Merrill had developed a sexual eagerness but also that the innocent part of it wasn't an act at all. "Do you love me Merrill?" She looked back into her eyes. A single tear escaped Merrill before she whispered; "emma sa'lath you are my life now." She turned her head away again, her blush growing darker. "That's a good girl, what is it that you want now?" Merrill looked slightly annoyed, like a puppy that had been denied a treat after a job well done. "I want you!" She quickly whimpered and tightened her grab at Thea's thighs. "Ooh, you are very eager tonight?" "Please." Merrill removed her one hand and forced Thea's hand to a position at her entrance. "All right." Thea leaned forward again and placed a final kiss on Merrill's forehead before moving her body downwards to rejoin her hand by Merrill's private part. Without further comments she parted Merrill's lower lips and slowly started licking the delicious spot. Slow deep moans escaped Merrill and she grabbed the bed sheet with one hand while placing the other on top of Thea's head. She started moving her hips in a responsive manner to Thea's moves; the moans growing a little longer and a little more desperate in terms of sound. "I love you." She whispered while releasing her grab of the sheet and placing her other hand on Thea's head too, by now Thea had speeded up the pace and raised Merrill's hips a bit to get into a better position. "I love you," Merrill repeated, once, then again and she continued to do so until she was near ready for release. Then it all stopped. Merrill had a desperate look down on Thea's head between her palms Thea rose from the position. "Why'd you stop?" Merrill's eyes seeking contact with Thea's. Thea raised one of Merrill's legs without answering her, then raising her own leg opposite of Merrill's and positioning herself in front of her. "You aren't entitled to all the fun you know." Thea pressed their womanhoods together and started a humping series of moves and got back in pace. She leaned forward, dominating Merrill like a partner of the opposite sex would. Merrill positioned her hands on Thea's legs and leaned her neck backwards. "S-slo-" she tried to say. "Your request darling?" Thea teasingly asked as she started kissing Merrill's neck again. "Slower…" It escaped from her. "Why's that?" "You said we should make this last." She gasped and placed her hands onto Thea's breasts – a rare initiative from her. "Okay" Thea agreed and slowed down the movements a little, making them deeper too. "This- this is good…" Merrill smiled and moaned in tact with the moves. "I'm close she said and opened her eyes to look into Thea's. "Let me help you get there too," she continued and a light started emitting from her hands, then small bolts of electricity was released into Thea's body quickly traveling through her and channeling back into Merrill. Thea dived into a deep kiss while they both released.

Panting, Thea rested back onto the bed besides Merrill and embraced her. "Wow, you never used your magic before." "It- it's no deal to release strong bolts in combat, but controlling it so I wouldn't kill you doing this has taken some practice." Merrill turned sideways to face Thea too. "You practiced this?" Thea asked. "Yes, on the dog!" In response to that Thea's nose twitched and she raised her eyebrows. "Not like that!" Merrill replied when she realized what she had said. "I mean, I shocked him a bit! I never-" Thea laughed and kissed Merrill again before she could say any more awkward things. Merrill just closed her eyes and embraced her love back.

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- "And they stayed in that position just kissing for almost two hours before they went to sleep - bloody boring." "Why did you watch them again Isabela?" "Well Daila, evenings on the Hanged man did tend to get lonely. To be true I must say I went there to get a drink with Thea for a final good bye, but when I realized what they were doing I couldn't help myself, I wanted to see how they did it." The girls murmured a bit with each other and Isabela opened her journal again. "Using magic for sex seems like a great idea!" The girl stated and went to the other side of the room to polish her sword. "A great idea indeed…" Isabela thought to herself and wrote in the last line before going into her room and closing the door behind her.

"Did you ever bed the champion Isabela?" One of the girls in the room raised her cup as a gesture to show it was her who asked. "No Daila, the champion is one of the few girls I haven't been able to bed." "What about men?" "Men can't resist me!" "Do you know anything dirty about the champion?" I response Isabela but giggled and closed her journal. She looked over at the bottled ship she had received from her friend so long ago and answered. "I do know something and I don't mind telling you, that's the least I could do for her!" "Yay!" Some of the girls replied and sat down beside the door to Isabela's private room. Separating the men's and the female's rooms was one of the better idea's Isabela had gotten in some time; she had halved the complaints about the girls groping the men's 'tools' and she could talk dirty without disturbing noises coming from their beds. "Okay, you see while the estate the champion bought was very nice it did had awful lot of windows, both on the walls and in the roof. As you might imagine it's hard to have curtains hanging along the roof!" The group had a mass giggle before she continued.


	6. Chapter 6

**The end is always a new beginning.**

_Been a while hasn't it? Well here's the end to Varrics memories, the next chapter will start the twoparted adventrue.  
I have taken my time to think this through, my big plan is to involve several characters from both Dragon Age: Origins and 2 in the story - the hard part is getting them all involved probperly.  
I hope you like my set up, i fear the time between updates may increase a bit, the ending year of school is coming and exams will take my time, but i will try to be quick about my writings._

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Thea looked down at Kirkwall, it felt sort of wrong to leave it. Not the leaving part itself, she always assumed Kirkwall would only be temporary, but to leave it in such a state did seem so irresponsible. "Are you okay sister?" Bethany grabbed Thea on the shoulder and shared her view across Kirkwall for a moment. "Ten years of our lives are down there…" Thea whispered. "Ten years of your life sister, I have been far and wide with the wardens, but I guess I understand… When we first got here I would never had imagined that I would leave it as a warden…" Bethany responded. "Is everyone here?" "Everyone but uncle Gamlen." "Ugh, it's no wonder he lost the estate…" "Don't dwell on it, with Varric in charge that won't happen again…" "I guess you are right."

After a little while Gamlen appeared down the road, "Ah, my girls, there you are!" he stated and made his way to his nieces. "Are you both sure about this?" He folded his hands together and looked at Thea. "We have discussed it uncle, Kirkwall is not safe for us any more." She stated and waved her hands in a denying gesture "Was it really ever?" Bethany added. "I guess not…"

Gamlen moved in to stand in front of them, meeting their eyes. "Well, then I guess this is it… Take care girls…" "Thanks uncle, I appreciate you being here." Bethany grabbed his hands. "Ah Bethany, you have become such a strong woman, Leandra would have been so proud of you. Of you both that is. I know I am…" Thea padded him on the shoulder and said: "Be good to Charade, she's so happy she found you." Gamlen nodded and hugged them both and stepped backwards to let their friends greet them.

Isabella walked up to them in her 'strutty' manner, "Watch yourselves, you hear? Without me around you three can only rely on those boys and the dog…" She smiled. "Thanks Isabela, don't forget us." Thea slapped her butt. "Forget you? I owe you my life trice, I will never forget that, and I swear that we will meet again, no matter where you go!" She smiled again and hugged Bethany too. "I don't know you as well cutie, but I know you and your sister will be safe."

Varric stomped the ground with his toes and looked up at his friends when they turned to talk to him. "Well Hawke, this is it?" He looked down. "Hey Varric, still not one for long goodbyes, eh?" "You know me too well girly, but this time I will make an exception… Meeting you was the best deal in my life, not for my purse, but for me… Speaking of my purse, I think I will name her Thea…" "That's enough!" Thea hugged Varric tightly, something she had wanted to do many times but never found the courage to, Varric was as important to her as the brother she lost ten years ago. "That's… Very sweet…" He padded her on the back. "Please do refer to me as 'Thea' in your future books 'kay?" "No can do, people will just confuse you with that Fereldan hero of yours…" Bethany hugged him too. "I'm sorry for the deep roads sunshine, had I been able to reverse your part of it I-" "No need Varric," she interrupted, "I no longer regret that fateful day, neither should you, had I stayed home the templars might've found me and killed me, I'm just grateful you and Thea were there with me…"

They looked around for their own personal guard-captain. "Aveline?" Thea looked down the hill where Aveline sat alone on a rock. Thea approached her. "Do you really have to do this Thea?" "I'm not Donnic Aveline, you'll be fine." "It's not entirely fine; I owe my whole life to you…" "Aveline, I'm not-" Thea tried to say- "Don't! Just hear me out." Aveline rose from her 'seat'. "Had your family not been there that day I would have died **with** Wesley. While romantic as that could have been I wouldn't want that, I still had a life to live. I don't remember ever feeling like this, but this must be what it was like to loose Bethany to the wardens…" "Aveline, we will meet again." "But my children will- No it doesn't matter now…" Aveline laid one of her hands on her armour where her tummy was located. "Aveline, are you?" Thea smiled. "I wanted to tell you… But it might have convinced you to stay had I said it before you asked Sebastian; I didn't want to use this to influence you." "Congratulations." "Bah, this will ruin my career…" Aveline smiled jokingly at her friend. "Take care of them all sister, okay? Without me to take the hits you're more likely to fall to your enemies you know." "Ah, so you **are** starting to doubt me…" "Never… Almost never… My child will be called Thea if she's a girl." She revealed. "You never liked that you needed to be your name Aveline." "What would you rather I called her then?" Thea thought for a moment, "…Leandra…" Aveline scratched her cheek, "I like that too, but shouldn't you?" Aveline followed Thea's gaze back at Merrill. "I will never have my own Aveline, but I would consider your daughter equal to my own." "Thank you." Aveline also received a hug before Thea turned around to greet her servants.

Thea lowered down on one knee to face Bodhan, "Take care of Orana, okay?" "Of course, I'm thinking her and Sandal would make a great married couple!" He clapped his hands. "Bodhan!" "Sorry, I was just jesting Messere." They both laughed and Thea continued; "If you ever need financial help just send Varric a letter, he's allowed to use some of my wealth to help my friends should they need to." "You're always so generous Messere. I never forgot your cousin, the Hero of Ferelden, and I will never forget you. You are so alike…" Thea turned to hug Sandal and Orana at the same time and received a back-padding by Bodhan (free of charge too!) before joining her diminished party.

Now without Anders, Aveline, Varric and Isabela she would face the coming dangers. Her companions greeted each other good bye too, mainly Isabela with Merrill and Fenris with Aveline. Sebastian stood on top of the path, just where the Dalish guards had patrolled before the clan left.

Thea headed in his direction. "So my liege, are you ready to face the future?" "Heh, with you Hawke I was ready to face the Knight-Commander, I will be ready for this too." "True, what's little Starkhaven compared to a cursed artefact?" "Oh, I'm sure Starkhaven has its own secrets too…" "Somehow I really much doubt it **doesn't**." They laughed and faced Fenris, Merrill and Bethany who joined them. "Champ!" Thea called her dog who gladly joined them as well.

Before venturing over the top of the path Thea turned around to get a last glimpse of those who had meant so much to her for such a long time. This parting moment easily equalled to leaving Carver by Lothering. "We will see them again Ma Vhenan." Merrill stated calmly and took her hand to guide her the last part of the way above the hilltop.

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"And that seeker is the last time I saw my friend." Varric sat back and sighed as if he had just released a ****. "Hm, so what do you propose we would do to find her then?" Leliana asked. "Well, the easiest thing would surely be to contact Sebastian, he rules Starkhaven now – but – I think it would be smarter to follow in her footsteps." Varric ran his finger over the Free Marches map similar to the route he knew they had taken. "Why is that? Won't that just waste time?" Leliana asked. "Seeker, you must know that if you want to find someone you have to think like them, my bet is that we will find something along the way that can lead us to her, if not then we will eventually get to Starkhaven anyway." "It seems like a lot of time to put into hope, but if you think it's the better way then I'm willing to do that." "Well, it's fifteen years since the blight in Ferelden started, I would have to say that half a year or so in search, finding evidence, compared to three months of guessing based on stories is worth it." "Very well, let's go to the lowlands on the other side of the mountains and see what we can find then." "Wait here." Varric went to his chest and picked up his purse. "Ah, there's Thea, what a beauty!" "So you did name your purse?" "Yep!" "Somehow I imagine us two travelling won't be boring." "Based on the rumours about you _nightingale_ I would have to say that you know your own way to have fun, m'I'right?" "True." They headed out the door of the hanged man and ventured the same route as the Champion to find out just what happened to her, and if she was involved with the Hero of Ferelden.

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_This is it, it's beginning (yay!)  
So the teams:  
Team Champion: Hawke, Bethany, Merrill, Fenris, Sebastian and the dog Champ.  
Team HoF: Amell, Loghain, Oghren and the dog Boss.  
Team Varric/Leliana: Varric and Leliana(surprise!) - Also called the Followers(!)  
The Hero of Ferelden will first appear late in the story and i don't plan on any sneak peeks to what they are doing, but if you leave a wish for me to make a small tease with them in my reviews is will consider it.  
I'm also open to ideas if you want to present one to me, just message me, i will always answer._

_Till next time._


	7. The Warden

**The Warden**

_Long time since a update I know, the next chapter is becoming really long and I might split it up too. Just for you I will reveal a part of what the warden and her companions are doing._

_Now I'm off to exams and stuff, the nextchapter will much likely take some time to be there, sorry. :(_

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A pile of darspawn, endless tunnels ahead and a small company. Thea Amell looked back at her two companions and her dog. This mission might be a little longer than what she had thought at first.

"I'm tired of this place! There's no taverns, no cute women – well any cute women who's into dwarves anyway – and there's no damn privacy when a man has his need!" Oghren yelled as he chopped down the last darkspawn. He looked around a last time to make sure it was all clear now.

Loghain sheathed his weapons and went back to Thea's side while shaking his head. "Your needs are extraordinary too Oghren, I can't imagine how the recruits in Amaranthine could stand sharing roof with you for so long."

"Those small pricks were never real warden material anyway, well except for Nate perhaps, he didn't wine as much as the mages – and Sigrun was pretty hot…" Oghren looted the corpses in hope of finding anything alcoholic.

"Please keep quiet about that, I didn't bring you two to remind me that men behave like inbred bunnies…" Thea *facepalmed* and went on ahead to go further into the tunnels.

"Give us some room man, I bet the Teyrn here could do with a little polishing once in a while too."

"That one night with the apostate witch was more than enough for me thank you…"

"She was hot tho… Heh, now I want privacy again…"

Drop it dwarf, the boss just disappeared again." Loghain pointed after Thea and tried to shake Oghren out of dirty thoughts again.

"I don't even get why we need to do this, sure I could do with escaping those darkspawn dreams, but is it really worth risking half our lifespan to find something there's not there?" Oghren murmured while following the former noble.

"… Because Oghren, if we can find a way to repeat Avernus' success with reversing the warden ritual we might as well find a way to make medicine for taint effected people and blighted lands." Thea answered while opening another Dwarven Barrier door.

"Let us handle that boss…" Oghren said and pointed to Loghain to push the door with him.

Thea continued: "Besides that, I am eager to see if there's any truth to what Nathaniel said about the deeper parts of the deep roads. Amgarrak Thaig and Morrigan's Eluvian both used lyrium to channel a connection with the fade; anything west of the old dwarven empire might reveal more about this mystery!"

"Why didn't we bring Nate with us anyway?" Oghren sighed as the door opened.

"Because he's more loyal to the first warden than me, if I had told him we would head down here he might have told him."

"Howes…" Loghain just noted and entered the opened door.

* * *

A bright red light greeted them. They had now gone outside the known parts of the deep roads. After following the Champion's route Nathaniel had investigated they had been able to clear a collapsed section of the tunnels that lead further into the oldest parts of the dwarven tunnels.

"According to my research the oldest dwarves and the Arlathan elves dealt with one another all the time, the elves ruled the surface and the dwarves the deep. The corruption of us humans arriving is what destroyed the balance of peace between the two races."

"Sometimes you remind me of Branka… And Felsi…" Oghren joked.

"And sometimes you remind me of a very short and fat broomstick, come on let's get this over with." Thea answered in the same tone and pointed towards the lights.

They headed towards those lights, what they might uncover here is yet a mystery.

* * *

_Hope you like the ideas. Thea is my idea of the über mage, she has a fair share of knowledge in all the magical schools – also the ones she's discovered herself. She only uses blood magic when it is required for rituals and she has learned how to make the warden ritual herself._

_Thea used to be a pro-circle mage and a very dedicated Andrastian, but her experience outside the tower and her dealings with all types of life forms has changed her views and is perhaps as much against templars as Anders. She's just not whining the whole time._


	8. Chapter 8

**A Journey Begins.**

Finally exiting the cave, Thea covered her eyes with her hand to avoid the strong rays from the sundown. After adjusting to the light she could see down the mountainside. She had a very good view over Wildervale. Not far from the base of the mountain was a small town, just by a river.

Bethany stood beside her and pointed at that very town, "look; that looks so much like Lothering!" And she was right, except there wasn't as much mud and dirt, it did look fairly much like their home town.

Thea smiled at her sister, "What do you say we stay there for tonight then?"

The others had gotten out of the cave now as well. "Yes please," Fenris replied, "It feels like its days since we left Kirkwall!"

Thea placed her right hand on her hip and tilted her head towards him, "you lived in a messed up mansion for ten years and you complain about a little wandering?"

Fenris dusted off his arms before replying, "There is a difference between living somewhere messy and not staying anywhere at all… I don't get how your Dalish get by without a proper roof for your whole lives!" He hinted at Merrill who was quick to respond;

"You have been with Qunari rebels; I would have to think that you have a pretty good idea of how that life is elven'din!"

Fenris rushed up to her and looked her in the eyes, "I told you to stop calling me that!"

Thea broke in, "Okay – Okay, that's enough… I told both of you that if we have to make this journey together you two will have to get along!" They turned their backs to each other and started to walk down the path without replying to her.

Sebastian returned to his companions, he had taken a small stroll down the path ahead of the others to scout and to avoid the argument, "Merrill talks more back to him now doesn't she?" He noted.

Thea sighed and rolled her eyes, "She does, and it gives me no small amount of headaches, when it was just Fenris insulting her it usually only lasted a couple of minutes, you should have seen them when they talked about Anders the other day, they went on for hours and only stopped when I finally stepped in…"

"Thea – Champ – Sebastian!" Bethany called out for them, a little longer down the road. They stopped talking to go with the rest of their group, down the hill.

They entered the small town on the right side of the river, it did resemble Lothering quite but the river was a little wider. It also looked like it was another kind of houses that was build on the other side of it.

"Welcome to Donne!" An unfamiliar voice sounded besides them.

"Is that you?" Merrill asked and pointed at the stranger standing besides a barn.

"Me? No, no knifey, this is Donne!" He raised his arms and swung around pointing at the houses.

"Knifey?" Merrill asked and looked to Thea.

"Knifey is a slang for Knife ear Merrill," Fenris replied.

"Oh, that is that not-nice thing some humans call us isn't it?"

"Yes, like you Dalish call them 'shems'"

"Well I-" She tried to say before she was interrupted by the stranger.

"What brings you here?" The man asked. "Haven't seen a group like yours before…"

Sebastian stepped in front of the group and bowed. "My name is Sebastian Vael; we are traveling to Starkhaven and were wondering if we could spend the night somewhere in this pretty little settlement?"

"A Vael eh? That sounds familiar…" The man mumbled, "Anyway, there are two taverns nearby, 'The Shot-Dead Wolf' over there and 'The Pint and a Half' over in Laryn."

"What's a Laryn?" Bethany asked.

"Laryn is that petty band of thugs and illegal magicers!" The man pointed towards the other side of the river.

"Are they Mercenaries?" Thea added to Bethany's former question.

"Mercenaries? No lassie it's not just a group, **the town** is Laryn!" The man chuckled.

"You mean it's a whole different town just across that river?" Sebastian pointed towards the bridge too.

"Yeah! That band of no-good criminals has always been a thorn in our side!"

They all looked across the river before Sebastian lowered his arm and continued. "What have they done?"

"They use our water! They take it and spray it all over their fields so there aren't any left for us!" Thea interrupted. "Surely you're exaggerating? They can't possibly use **all** the water."

"Go see for yourself." The man said, left them and went into his barn.

"Seems strange for two towns so close to each other to have such a hate-hate relationship, don't you think?" Thea looked around her group.

"'Hate is the most effective ingredient in the world' Varric would probably say, that about covers it." Fenris responded.

"Shouldn't we just sleep here and get out again? I don't really feel like getting involved in these things…" Bethany added.

"If there is anything I can do to solve it I will try, that is my noble Duty." With those words Sebastian started to cross the bridge. It was quite something, not only was it long enough to reach each side, it was also very wide; the base of a statue was placed in the middle, but no actual statue was placed onto it.

A man with red hair stood beside it and looked into Donne where they came from.

"Hello strangers, I hope you aren't sympathizers for that group of do-gooders in Donne!" He merrily greeted.

Thea shared a brief moment of eye contact with Sebastian before joining him in front of the man.

"Do-gooders? What's so wrong about that?" Sebastian asked.

The man shook his fist in front of them, "They keep threatening us with the Kirkwall city guard and the Templars just because we don't mind our people giving birth to mages!"

"You're a mage?" Bethany asked him.

"Me? No- not me, but we have a long history of magic in our fair town…"

"And when a child is born the people from Donne have the templars come and take them I suppose?" Thea asked.

"Yes! It's destroying the community, I give them that mages need to be taught how to control their powers, but each time they take a pair of hands that can lift a hoe or a hammer they take away a piece of our future, last year the templars took eight of the ten newborns, **eight**!"

"I kind of like this side of the river," Bethany added and smiled to Merrill.

"Yes, it's nice to see someone with a tolerant view of magic for once." She replied.

The man lowered his fist and turned towards Merrill and Bethany. "You're mages?" He asked.

"I suppose there is no point in hiding it." Thea stepped in front of them. "They are mages and we are looking for a place to sleep for tonight, can you help us?"

"Oh, sure friends, come on I can introduce you to the manager in 'The Pint and a Half'" He turned around and waved his hand to have the group follow him.

Thea stopped him and pointed to the pedestal on the bridge. "Thank you, but before we go can I ask you what's supposed to stand on that pedestal there?"

"Oh, we have a statue of the Kirkwall viscount standing there to remind the people of both towns not to start a war; it has been hard for these last three years, the sculptor in Donne have already made a statue of the Knight-Commander to place there now." He sighed and dusted off a plate on it, it had the late Viscount's name written on it, 'Marlowe Dumar.'

"I see…" She replied and gestured to the group; they all walked along with the man and got to the town's tavern.

Inside 'The Pint and a Half' there was pretty much an aroma alike the one in the hanged man.

"My name is Xander by the way and I am happy to assist friends." He led them to the desk where a dark haired man stood. "Danal there is some customers from outta town." Xander padded him on the shoulder and the man turned around.

The man's eyes opened wide when he looked at the two Hawke sisters, "Well, I'd be dead and strung up trice! Thea! Bethany!" Danal embraced both the girls and smiled from ear to ear.

After looking at the man for a minute Bethany recognized him. "Danal from the tavern in Lothering? You're alive?"

"Sure am, boy the stories I have heard of you two! The Champion of Kirkwall and the famous Grey Warden Apostate from our little town, sit down!"

Xander pointed at them while the rest of their companions sat down with them. "These are the Hawke sisters you told us about!" He laughed and placed his palm on top of his head.

"It is, sit, sit girls this round will be free of charge for you and your companions!"

Bethany sat down but kept her stare on Danal, "famous? **I'm** famous?" She asked.

"Indeed, we all know the story of how you saved that boy Clayton."

"Oh, that…" She replied.

Thea took her sisters hand and looked at her. "You never told me about this?"

"Well, I was traveling through another town close by and saved a boy – or rather a very young man – from a burning tower, I froze the flames and used my magic to levitate him safely down from the roof before the building collapsed."

Danal served the drinks, "And that man lives here today, he has a farm just at the other end of this street!"

"Really?" Bethany got excited, "I would love to meet him again, can we see him before we go to sleep sister?"

"Sure." Thea replied and emptied her jar in one big gulp, a skill she had learned from Isabela, "let's go before it gets dark."

"I think I will ask for rumors around town while you do that, might hear something useful" Sebastian said and walked out the door.

Merrill took a hold of Thea's arm, "Do you mind if I stay here and rest Ma Vhenan?"

"Not at all love, we'll be quick." Thea replied and kissed her on her forehead.

"I think I will stay here and use that 'free of charge offer' of yours" Fenris smiled and handed his jar to Danal.

"Come champ!" The dog followed the Hawke sisters out of the tavern but bolted after Sebastian once outside.

"I suppose there is no harm in them going together. He might even be better at getting rumors than Seb…" Thea thought to herself.

Xander pointed them towards the farm and left them to go back to the bridge.

Bethany knocked lightly on the door and opened it. "Hello?" The two sisters looked around the room and saw the young man sit by the fireplace.

"Oh, hello I- Wait?" He walked up to them and grabbed Bethany's hands. "M-my savior, you are as beautiful as you were then!" He gestured to have them sit.

"This is my sister Clayton," Bethany padded Thea on the shoulders and smiled at him.

"The Champion of Kirkwall? It's an honor to meet you." He bowed and sat down in front of them.

"Thank you." Thea just responded and looked around the farmhouse. It was quite empty, just the chairs, a table and a bed along with a simple shelf used to store food and clothes.

"Why have you moved here Clayton?" Bethany asked and smiled to him once more.

"This is one of the few places where they are tolerant to your kind Miss Bethany, I moved here so I could help mages escape from Kirkwall!" He said with a voice full of pride.

"Really? Just because I am a mage?" She curled some of her sister's hair around her finger while talking to him.

"Indeed, I have dedicated my life to help those hunted for their gift; I figured a lot of mages would flee Kirkwall this way once I heard how tense the fighting in the city had become."

"It seems like a lot of effort to-" Bethany tried to reply but was interrupted by the door to the house being slammed wide open.

Sebastian came running in, Thea rose up from her seat, something was wrong.

"Thea, you must come!" Sebastian yelled from the door, in the distance they could hear her dog barking.

"What's going on Sebastian?" Thea grabbed her sword as a reflex and ran up to him.

"Knight-Captain Cullen has followed us here, he wants to see you." Sebastian moved away from the door to let Thea pass, they all went to the bridge where Cullen was trying to cross but was being held back by Champ.

"Makers breath Thea, get a hold of that beast I don't want to harm you!" Cullen yelled and lowered his guard.

"Let him pass Champ." Thea ordered and the dog backed away slowly while still showing teeth. "So what do you want?" She asked him while he made his way towards her.

"I know you are protecting the two mages, who's following you but that's not why **I'm** following you; I think someone else is trying to hurt you." He tightened his grip around his shield and looked down at an amulet around his neck. "This amulet has the coat of arms of Ferelden… It's a mage from our home country I fear is hunting you."

"And I should trust you why? I have recently fought against your order and freed the mages, why would you wish to protect me?" Thea tightened her grip around her sword and moved towards him.

When facing directly him, he replied; "We both realized what danger Meredith posed, I don't desire any kind of revenge on her behalf, what happens to the order afterwards is yet to be seen however I do not wish anyone to experience what I did in Ferelden, not you either."

Thea looked at Bethany behind her then back at Cullen, "Then tell me what you want, I'm listening – for now." She sheathed her sword behind her back and crossed her arms.

"The mage is a blood mage from Fereldens' Circle of Magi; he was sentenced to death by my former Knight-Commander, Gregoir. His name is Jowan and he was very close to your cousin, Thea Amell, before she joined the Grey Wardens." Cullen took of the amulet and looked at it. "He is actually the reason why she became a warden, he was trying to flee the Circle tower with a… Acquaintance of his…"

"But…?" Thea replied.

Cullen shook his head and looked back up from the amulet. "Thea Amell was such a dedicated Andrastian, she didn't believe that magic was a sin, but she did believe in the purpose of the Circle so she reported his intentions to the First Enchanter, Irwing. He made her help Jowan but with the little detail that they laid a trap…"

"So she betrayed her friend?" Bethany asked.

Cullen looked angrily at Bethany and responded; "She helped her betters, would you have her betray the circle instead?" He tightened the grip on the amulet, "Anyway, when we tried to grab the girl Jowan was fleeing with, he slit his wrists and used blood magic on us – I witnessed the whole thing. He fled and the Grey Warden Commander recruited Thea, partly to save her from Gregoir, who wanted to punish her."

"But what does that have to do with me?" Thea asked.

"I know from what Thea later told me that she found him and released him in Redcliffe, I had thought him dead then… But I recently heard that your friend Anders helped him to Kirkwall, he wanted to meet with you. I fear he might still want to find Thea… I mean, Amell and may think you know where she is. It's quite widely known that you and the Hero of Ferelden are related and I cannot predict which means he's going to use to get you to talk. He is a blood mage."

Thea smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder, "so… This is just a friendly warning? It sounds like you are more likely to be his target than I am… I don't even know my cousin."

Cullen scratched his chin and looked back up at her, "I must admit that I hadn't really thought about that, I only talked to him once in the Circle in Ferelden… Listen, I have traced him to a cave nearby, we might be able to face him before he finds any of us."

"Then let's go. Where is this cave then?" Thea agreed.

"It's on the other side of Donne, I will lead us there." He pointed towards a small path leading out of the other town.

"All right wait just a second." She turned around and pointed towards the tavern. "Bethany I want you to go back to Merrill and Fenris, stay with them I dare not bring you with myself and Cullen, Sebastian would you mind coming with us?"

"Not at all, I was about to request this myself." He went up to Cullen and waited.

"Why can't I come with you sister?" Bethany sounded disappointed.

Thea laid her hands on her sister's shoulders, "if this mage is intending to hurt me he might use any means necessary, that would include targeting you or Merrill, I'd prefer if you two stay here with Fenris while we hunt down Cullen's lead."

"If you think it's for the best then I do too…" She agreed hesitantly and walked towards 'The Pint and a Half' while murmuring to herself that Fenris wasn't much of a preference as a bodyguard.

Thea bowed down to face her dog, "You stay by the inn boy, protect the others however possible if anything happens! Champ barked in delight and went to the inn too to do what he did best. Thea turned to Cullen and Sebastian and followed them to find the cave.

After exiting Donne and walking for a while they got to a split of the road.

"This is the way to the cave," Cullen said and pointed to the right side.

"What's the other way?" Thea asked.

Sebastian brought out a map and showed her the way, "The other way is the one we will follow when we leave. It should guide us through the forest to Tantervale." He pointed at the road they were on now and continued. "This way goes to Markham in the east, there seems to be marked an old slaver den though, I assume this is the cave you are referring to Cullen?"

"Correct," He stated, "My quick investigation shows that he hides in there, apparently this cave both connects to the deep roads and another exit on the other side of Sundermount."

"But are you sure he's after me?" Thea asked.

"Not at all, but you must admit that a cloaked mage from Ferelden following your footsteps is alerting."

"Isn't this just the usual templar paranoia?" Thea argued.

Cullen was not one to loose an argument about mages and stopped up and answered; "Better to be a bit paranoid and live than totally careless and die, if this mage is not out to harm you I will just bring him back to the circle!"

"Maybe we should just get going?" Sebastian interrupted before Thea could talk back.

"Sure." She just said instead and turned to finally catch a glimpse of the cave in the hillside. They all went up to it and took a moment before entering.

Bones were scattered all around the floor, there had recently been carved a path through them to walk on it seemed, an indication that something had been in here not to long ago. After walking for a while they finally hit a split point, one went downwards and one upwards.

"This must be where the cave divides into the Deep roads and the entrance on Sundermount." Cullen said and ran his hand along the wall. "I know the entrance on Sundermount is supposed to be collapsed, but I don't know if raiders or perhaps rogue mages might have cleared it."

"So you're saying we go to the deep roads? Lovely." Thea noted and went down the stairs.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think the mage is here, if he ever was." Sebastian stated and stopped.

"How do you figure?" Cullen asked.

"There is no light down here but the torch you carry Cullen, and there isn't any stream of air, if the tunnel here had another opening we would be able to feel it…"

As they turned around the corner they discovered another collapse. Cullen threw the torch to the ground. "Damnation, he must have gotten out before we got here!"

"No, he was never here!" Thea just yelled, turned around and ran towards the exit they came from. Sebastian was quick to follow. After realizing she was thinking of her family's safety Cullen followed as well.

* * *

/ _Okay, so I split up another chapter, I just happen to make them too long!_

_I plan on a number of cameos from old friends of Dragon Age Origins, and now that I am finally finished with my school I expect to be able to continue my story._

_I would expect to throw in the next chapter in not too long, I've already begun it, it really depends on my family's vacation plans, I am unsure when we go wherever to we plan to travel._

_Most likely Sweden._

_Anyhow; here it is, and I hope to be back up on regular uploads soon, I may have to do something about the old chapters to make them more readable first though._

_By the way, I got an A in English exams! I have improved!_

_Cheers._ /


	9. Chapter 9

**Magic**** Defenders**

* * *

Meanwhile back in 'The Pint and a Half' Bethany had sat on her provided bed, grumpy, since Thea had left.

"Your sister cares a lot for you, Lethallan." Merrill entered their room and sat down beside her on her bed.

"What did you call me?" Bethany asked.

"Lethallan, it means… Mate, sister…" She replied and smiled. Bethany smiled back, their views of magic might be different but she still liked Merrill.

"What do you want!" They heard Fenris yell from the inn's hall, they both got up and went out to the bar where they saw that Fenris had drawn his weapon and held a man in a corner across the room with Champ.

"P-please I wish no harm upon anyone…" The man brought his arms up to shield himself.

"You're a mage, I can feel it, what is your name!" Fenris yelled and raised his sword; the sword of mercy which Thea had given him glowed as his anger grew.

"M-my name is Jowan, I'm not here to hurt anyone." The man replied.

"Jowan? That's the mage Cullen mentioned." Bethany said and went to Fenris' side.

"C-Cullen? What is Cullen doing here?" He asked and looked at Bethany.

"He's after you, but enough about that, is it true you are after my sister?" She folded her arms and looked him into the eyes.

"Your sister? No, I'm trying to find my old friend." He said and brought forth an amulet. The Amulet shined, it became brighter as he held it towards Bethany. "Wait… Why is it reacting to you? You're not her!" He looked confused up at Bethany.

"What sort of foul magic is that thing!" Fenris spat into his face.

"It's an amulet enchanted with the blood of my friend, I stole it from a cache in Amaranthine when the circle stored the mage phylacteries outside the tower in Ferelden. One of my old friends named Karl Thekla made this for me so I could find her…" He held the amulet against his chest and rose up to face them.

"She? You mean the Hero of Ferelden?" Merrill asked.

"Indeed, my only friend who betrayed me so many years ago and joined the wardens to eventually become the Hero… I hoped that I could find her with this… I just don't understand why it reacts to you, I was certain she was here."

"I'm her cousin…"

"Her… Cousin?"

An awkward silence fell upon the room; they all stared at the amulet. Danal came in from his study, "My, what is all this noise coming from in here?" He asked.

Jowan shoved the amulet back inside his robe. "… And you said you have a sister?" He looked back up at Bethany.

"Yes, I assume that, that thing reacts to her too…" She replied.

"I don't get why it should react to the Hawke's, they may be related, but their blood are not the same." Fenris stated.

"If that thing was made by amateurs it may be defunct to show everyone with a blood alike the one used as track." Merrill said while stroking her wrists, the source of her own blood magic powers. "Templars use the blood of mages in the circle who escape to track them down, the magic used for that is a mix of enchanting and blood magic. If Jowans friend made that amulet without a dwarf or a tranquil to do the enchanting process, that might be why it detects it's targets familymembers as well."

Jowan sighed and sat down at one of the chairs, looking downwards. "I will never find her…" He murmured while downing the rest of Fenris' ale.

"You can still fix it; you just need someone with the skills to enchant it to finish it up." Bethany said. "I learned about this from an elven woman in the wardens named Velanna, she told me how it worked. She was a Dalish like Merrill."

Jowan lighted up a bit and grabbed his rope where he had stored the amulet. "Hm, all right, then I just need to find someone who can enchant it," he said sarcastically.

"We know a dwarf who-" Merrill was about to say before Bethany cut her off, "wait. I want to know why you want to find my cousin, are you out for vengeance?"

"No. I don't have anywhere else to go, I have no real purpose. I hoped that by finding her I could perhaps join her and do something to make up for my past mistakes… She's the only person left that I care about"

"You are caught in the past…" Fenris commented. Jowan ignored him.

"Okay, continue Merrill…" Bethany allowed and stepped away from her.

"We know a dwarf who's a brilliant enchanter." She revealed. "If you hurry back to Kirkwall he might be able to help you before leave for Orlais."

"Thanks. How do I find him?"

"Go to the Hanged Man tavern, everyone knows about it, and ask for Varric Tethras.

Without saying anything more Jowan rose up from the chair and walked out of the tavern. Before exiting he looked back at Bethany. Aside from her colors she looked fairly much like Thea Amell. Bethany just had tan, dark hair and glowing brown eyes whereas Thea had pure blonde hair, pale skin and the deepest ocean blue eyes you could imagine. Plus she usually had her long curly hair rolled up in a pair of braids.

Just as everything got quiet, Champ rose from his spot at the inn fireplace and started growling. As both Bethany and Merrill each had lived with him they knew that he was seldom wrong when came to threats. Champ slowly walked up to the door in a position ready to leap at anything that entered. As the door slowly opened and a templar armor came into sight both the mages rose from the chairs and prepared. Fenris too grabbed his sword, but It could be Cullen. The man wasn't Cullen but was familiar to them, they had helped him before.

"Samson?" Merrill suggested as he became fully visible, "why are you here?"

"Why is any templar here," he answered, "I am serving under Ser Karras and he got a lead that a Fereldan mage was here. Seems there wasn't just one."

"My sister helped you back into the order! That one time I was kidnapped…" Bethany defended. Champ also moved in front of the two girls and made sure to show Samson his teeth.

"Yes, and both me and him survived the showdown in the gallows. That is why I am going to give you a chance to get away. If you hurry I can hold Karras off on the other side of the river." Without saying more he exited again and Fenris sheathed his weapon. "So I assume we won't be sleeping here then…" He muttered while guiding them out of the inn.

Once outside they could see that this would be difficult. It wasn't just Samson and Karras but also a dozen other Templars, perhaps some of those who had not made it to the gallows yet when the fighting had ended.

"What do you mean false lead? The Knight-Captain went this way and he doesn't follow leads unless there is something to them! He let the apostates serving the Champion go and if I can prove his corruption I will!" The bearded man yelled at Samson.

"I said that they weren't over there, if you cannot trust me then we can't trust your intentions in this mission, we all know you were jealous of Cullen's position!"

As they screamed at each other Bethany tried to look for another way to cross the river, out of Templar sight. It looked like they would have to exit Laryn into the woods on this side and hope to find a way to cross later.

"Ser Karras, over there!" Another familiar voice sounded. They all turned their heads and saw the stranger from the barn standing on the bridge pointing at them. The Templars all looked to Bethany and Merrill; they had both been quite known as free apostates in Kirkwall so Karras too recognized them immediately. "Get them!" He yelled and stormed over the bridge to attack. Both the mages was a little stunned by the sudden battle but Fenris and Champ was quick to charge right at the Templar group.

"Burn the town down, they are harboring Blood Mages! Karras Yelled." He grabbed a torch one of his men held and threw it at one of the houses which immediately set aflame.

"What are you doing!" The man on the bridge cried out. "We are not on their side!" But Karras didn't listen. Soon after almost all of the both towns were in flames and their group was cornered between the inn and another barn. Fenris and Champ did their best but had to realize that they were vastly outnumbered. Merrill and Bethany both did their best to cast their spells and trying to sustain their enhancing powers.

"This is not the order I wanted to return to!" Samson yelled and charged at one of the templars in the back of the pack.

From the other end of town Clayton too appeared out of his house and started shooting at the templars with a small homemade bow. The templar ranks broke as some of them sought to end the new sources of attack. Fenris saw an opening and activated his lyrium powers and spread the templars closest by to all sides.

"What in the makers name are you doing!" Karras screamed and swung his sword at Samson, who parried with his. It was clear that Samson had lost a lot of his fighting skills and wouldn't be able to win a duel with his superior templar.

"I am a templar because I believe in protecting people, including mages, not massacring them!" He yelled right back and pushed the taller man back. As they fought more templars arrived from Donne, they were about to charge right into the battlefield but was surprised by a fireball coming from their backs. On the top of the hill Jowan stood and helped out. He wasn't a great mage but he made sure they couldn't focus on Bethany and Merrill.

"It is me you are after!" He yelled as he brought forth a knife and slit his wrist, powering up a spell and firing it at a single templar. The templar turned around and started attacking his fellows. "Blood mage!" One of the men yelled, catching the attention of Ser Karras. Quickly chopping Samson down he lead his men across the bridge again, towards Jowan and completely forgot about the two other apostates he had attacked to begin with.

Bethany looked over at Clayton who laid on the ground bleeding then back at Samson who was in bad shape too. Fenris and Champ had both gotten wounds but were not ones to linger, they ran right after the templars. "Wait!" She murmured, stopping them both. "We don't have time for this." She looked around to get a overview and then looked at them with determination. "Champ, go find my sister and Sebastian," she ordered and continued, "Fenris Merrill, right now it is more important we help the villagers, we can save our skin once sis is here." She pointed at the river, "Merrill, try to put out the fire," then back at Fenris, "You look for people in the building, carry as many out as you can."

"I wanna help!" Danal said as he came out from the inn, "I am no fighter, but these people are my friends, I wanna help them…"

"Then help Fenris look for survivors and bring them to the square, where no fires can get to them, I can heal them once we are clear of danger." She ordered.

They all nodded and started doing what she had told them and Champ swiftly bolted across the bridge, through the Templar army and towards the path Thea had taken earlier.

Perhaps her time in the wardens was not so ill spent after all, she grinned. Quickly she regained the serious look and walked towards the bridge. Jowan held the Templars off with his strong blood magic but was soon to run out of power. Bethany quietly climbed onto the pedestal for the statue on the middle of the bridge. She took a deep breath and started waving her hands for a summoning. Some of the templars saw her and turned to stop her. A loud noise came from the river side, Merrill set a wall of fire on their side of the river, preventing them from getting to her loves little sister. Afterwards she waved her hands too and the water started to float in giant bubbles in the air, moving towards the flames of all the houses. It was a big spell and drew a lot of power, power which she had already used in the battle, and without using blood magic she would quickly run out, she had relied on the power of her blood for many years now. Still, she smiled to Bethany who also continued her summoning.

"Time to show you people just what I learned in the wardens." She whispered to herself. A bright light shined from the air, rocks and dirt started flying towards the center of that light, setting aflame in the process. The templars all turned around, it was almost night now so the light was out of place. Karras stared at Bethany; he had never seen a spell like this one before. Quickly he ordered his men to change focus to her and trying to set out Merrill's firewall. Jowan smiled but didn't fall, he made a final spell that cloaked him from sight and he went back to return to Kirkwall. There was so much of his old friend, Thea Amell, in that girl down on the bridge, their powers were the most potent he had ever witnessed; he knew she wouldn't loose now.

The light of Bethany's magic concentrated and all the dirt and rock she had collected turned into a giant flaming ball. Some of the templars could see the power of that spell and started deserting the battlefield. "Cowards! I order you to attack!" Karras yelled, but to no use.

Bethany finally let go of the spell, he eyes glowed blue from the Darkspawn taint, which gave her unique powers. It may be a death sentence, but she had also learned that it had enhanced her magic capabilities. The molten boulder fell from the sky and crushed the remaining templars in a explosion of magma. Bethany fell, exhausted, from the pedestal and watched a lump of the hot substance flying towards her. She made peace with the maker, but before she was granted death a strong yet gentle hand grabbed her under her back and ran away from the spot on the bridge she had thought to be her final resting place. They narrowly escaped the impact; Bethany looked up at her savior and was relieved to see her sisters face again. Thea gently, and proudly, looked down at her sister and covered her eyes with her free hand, making her fall asleep.

As she opened her eyes after some rest, Bethany looked up and saw that she was surrounded by people, both familiar and not. Her sister held her hand and had the same smile as when she rescued her an hour before.

"You saved us lassie…" The nameless man they first met in Donne said. He sat down beside her and cried. "Can you ever forgive me for getting the templars?" He asked. Bethany weakly smiled and sat up; "Of course. You did what you thought was right, no one can blame you for what tose horrible people did."

He rose from his position and helped Bethany do the same.

"I'm so proud of you Bethany, I had no idea you were so powerful." Thea grinned and hugged her sister.

"Neither did I," she grinned back, "I hadn't really tried using any of the spells I learned in the wardens before now, I had no idea they were so strong."

"Hmph, good thing that you were their mage, many others would use that power to their own advantage." Fenris commented. Ignoring him Bethany swiftly moved through the crowd who all whispered about herm the word 'savior' being the most frequently used. She sat down by Samson, Clayton and the other survivors gently waving her healing magic onto them. They were all in bad shape, but none were in danger of dying. Cullen went to Samson's side, helping him to sit up. "I wasn't aware that I had been so careless in my search for the Hawke's, what made Karras follow me Samson?" He asked as he supported his colleague's neck.

"You don't need me to answer that, you know Karras essentially just wanted to surpass you. Selfish bugger." He growled as he rubbed his wounds.

"I see." Cullen stood up and ordered the few templars left to come and carry Samson. "I will return to Kirkwall Hawke, I will have to offer my support to Guard Captain Aveline so we can get the city back in order." With that they all went to those same caves that Jowan had disappeared into before and got on their way back to the city.

Merrill and Sebastian emerged from the woods, bringing herbs and fresh water for healing. Merrill dropped the basked she held and ran right over to Thea. "Ma Vhenan, it was horrible…" They embraced each other. "Bethany was amazing; she was so much like you when she started ordering us around. Even Fenris obeyed her, and Fenris never obeyed anyone but you before, not even Aveline, and Aveline is scary, so that must mean Bethany's scary too!" Fenris blushed a bit in the background while Thea quickly chopped Merrill's confusing sentence down so she could understand it. She smiled but didn't say anything, she was just glad her family was safe.

"It was a mistake to go after that Jowan, but it is good everyone's safe." Sebastian added and brought all the herbs over to Bethany who was quick to grab them and start making potions and ointments. "He was here, but didn't want anything to do with us…" She mentioned.

"I know, Merrill and Fenris already told us." Thea said while letting Merrill out of her arms.

Xander, Danal and group of the villagers from both towns stood in a group and talked. Thea went over to them. "Living in open hostility won't benefit any of our towns," Xander said, "I suggest we try to bury our differences and get along!" The majority of the people clapped and agreed. Danal turned towards Thea, "we want you and your companions to sleep here tonight without charge. The inn in Donne is not damaged, and we have all agreed to help each other rebuild both towns." He smiled, living in this place had been quiet but paranoid like, almost living alongside a dragon. Thea took them up on their offer and everyone moved to the inn 'The Shot-Dead Wolf'.

That night the villagers feasted and helped the injured. Cared for them and celebrated their survival. The dead templars were burned and buried to prevent disease. The following morning they were all greeted good bye and good travels, and every villager made sure to come to Bethany and thank her personally.

"Well, it seems like we will never be able to escape drama…" Fenris grinned and swung a bag over his shoulder.

"This is what makes traveling fun!" Merrill agreed. "With my clan we didn't really get involved with fights, but every new place brings new experiences!"

"I would still like to avoid templars…" Bethany sighed.

They went along the path and turned into the forest, hopefully they would get to Starkhaven without too much drama from now on.

* * *

/_Wanna bet? Nah! Drama is far from over. The next part will be a little more revealing to Varric and Leliana's story, so look forward to that!_

_I only spell checked this part once, so if you find anything that needs attention let me know!_

_Over and out-_/


	10. Chapter 10

**Seekers and Followers****  
**

* * *

Leliana rubbed her leg after exiting the cave. Varric moved past her and looked down at the village. "This is the village that reveres Bethany; I assume that means my friends went this way!" He stated. "You don't say?" His companion snarky replied.

"Look, the only lead to this point is this letter that was sent to me about three months after their departure. Their journey was so eventful that she compared it to her entire time in Kirkwall, you can't exactly expect all the details to be scribbled on this lab of paper…" Varric defended while waving one of his many kept Hawke writings in the air.

"You are great at guessing, yes?" She smiled and stomped the ground with her foot to make sure her leg wouldn't fall off. Varric but sighed and started to head for Donne and Laryn.

Once entering the village, the sweet smell of freshly brewn ale filled his nose. He headed straight for 'The Shot-Dead Wolf.' Leliana tried to call out for him, but when it was his dry throat that mattered he could seal off his ears. She gave up on her pursuit and decided to look around the villages.

She went to the bridge; perhaps she could get a overview from there. As she made her way she noticed a quite high statue towering on the middle of the thing. Once she got close enough she could recognize the person. "Bethany?" She whispered to herself and remembered the young girl from Lothering, now there her statue stood; standing proud in a Grey Warden outfit alike the one her love had worn once she was officially named Warden-Commander of Ferelden. Holding out her staff as a sword Bethany looked so… Adult. Not like the shy sweet girl she had told stories to in Lothering.

"Oy stranger!" A unfamiliar voice sounded. "You like it?" He asked.

"Yes, it looks very much like her." Leliana replied without stopping her gaze up on it. It was funny how she never saw Bethany in Thea Amell; now that she knew they were family all the similarities were clear. Given though, Thea Hawke had even more in common with the circle mage.

"You know her?" He asked. She shifted focus to him: "Yes, I lived in the village she is from a dozen years ago…"

"That is something! Can I get you a drink? I would love to hear what you know about her!" He pointed towards another inn on the other side of the river.

"Sure, perhaps you can tell me something I want to know too…"

"You bet! I'm Clayton by the way, welcome to Donaryn!" He led her towards the inn.

"Donaryn? I thought this was-"

"All strangers think so! But after Bethany the pure saved us all from the corrupt templars we let the villages merge so that we all could live in peace and honor her example!" Proudly, he sounded. He opened the door and shoved her to a seat. "Danal, two on me!"

"Danal?" Leliana gasped and rose before she had even taken her seat. She turned around and looked over at the familiar face. "You live?"

"Heh, aye; Little miss Bethany had that same reaction when she came in here a couple'o years ago." He smiled and shook her hands.

"So she did come through here, thank the maker." She followed Danal's lead and sat down while he got her something to drink. "But I thought this was two settlements, what happened?"

"Bethany happened." He said, a fire shot in his eye and he sat down in front of her. "When the Templars tried to annul the two towns she saved us, the Champion and the Prince of Starkhaven had followed a lone templar to a cave so they weren't present, but Bethany, Hawke's lover and another elf was here. They saved our lives, and Bethany led them."

Leliana giggled as she thought about the shy young girl from Lothering leading a squad into battle against an army of templars. Danal told her in detail about the assault, all coming from hunting a single mage to loosing by the hands of another. As she walked by Bethany's statue she left a small white flower at the base, perhaps it wasn't too late to find her lost love after all; perhaps Bethany would lead her to her. "Andraste's grace symbolizes the hope Thea gave me…" She whispered.

"That it does? I don't remember Hawke ever giving you flowers…" Varric grinned as he crossed the bridge. "Well I'll be dammed…" He mumbled with the bottle half way into his mouth as he caught sight of Bethany's statue. "That's Sunshine!" He laughed.

"Right now you kinda remind me of Oghren…" Leliana mumbled as she turned him around to continue their journey. "A barkeep I know told us which way to go, come on."

"Perhaps you can help us then." A rough voice sounded from a silhouette in front of them, shadowed by the leaving sun. She shielded her eyes and quickly recognized the men in front of her that she each only had met briefly before. "Cullen, Nathaniel and Jowan, what's going on now?"

"Hey look! The brooding club of Ferelden is here to join us, are you sure you're not looking more for Fenris than Hawke?" Varric yelled and threw his bottle into the water.

"Oghren…" Nathaniel mumbled, like Leliana, before he shook his head and looked down at Varric. "You're that dwarf that was with the Champion in the deep roads to safe me…"

Varric looked closer, trying to control the blur the alcohol had given him. "Nathaniel Howe! The Brooding arl with a knack for getting into all kinds of trouble!"

"Why is it that dwarves always make me hate them when I try not to be prejudice…" He mumbled back before Cullen stepped in front of him.

"Enough, we have something to discuss." He bowed. "I'm the former Knight-Captain of Kirkwall, now rogue templar on the hunt for Hawke and her family."

"And you assume I'll help you assault people who are important to me?" Leliana snapped back at him.

"No, I do not wish to harm the Champion or the Hero, we just wish to find them. They could help us end the madness in this world before it's too late."

"Why is it that everyone thinks Hawke can end this?" Varric asked, now looking as serious as a drunk dwarf could.

"I don't think she can help us, everything I have seen her do is solve messes that she created herself. I believe the Hero is key." Cullen answered and looked back at Leliana. "We have tried to follow both the Hawke sisters and Thea Amell, but with no success, our trail ends here."

Nathaniel handed some documents over to Leliana and continued: "These are the last letters from Thea to the first warden before she went rogue; apparently she had dealings behind his back with a old Warden called Avernus, back in Ferelden, and we suspect that she may be trying to find a cure to the blight."

"Isn't that good?" Leliana asked.

"It is fantastic, but the problem is her going rogue." He looked down, "As much as she has good intentions, we have no idea if she's getting involved politically, no matter how much she believes she's out of the wardens, she's still our strongest public symbol, and the people will assume that her means are those of the wardens."

"So you want to control her? Have you ever thought that, that was perhaps why she, Anders and that group of wardens that travel with her left your order?" Varric scuffed.

"We don't want to presume, so the first warden tasked me with finding them and finding out what they are after and how far they are."

"And you?" Leliana looked to Jowan.

"I have personal reasons… Like you I suppose…" He quietly answered.

Leliana spotted the amulet he held in his hand. "What's that?"

"This was supposed to show me the way, but that idiot next to me destroyed it when he tried to 'convince' me that cooperating was the best idea."

"I had no idea that you kept it in your belt!" Cullen growled at him.

"And I had no idea that hitting people was a good means to get their allegiance!" Jowan scowled right back at him.

"Enough!" Nathaniel yelled and broke them away from each other. "What matters is that we all seek the same people, and I suspect that finding Hawke and Amell is the same thing in the end. Destiny must have in store for them to meet!"

Varric went ahead and placed his hand in the middle of the circle they had formed. "I suggest that too, we can also better watch each other when we travel together. Plus I don't find forests and dungeons very inviting when we only travel in pairs." He looked at Leliana and smiled.

"Exactly!" Nathaniel said and placed his hand on Varric's, "I vow that I do not intend to harm the Champion or the Hero, I will lend my bow to this cause and see that we all find those that we seek."

Jowan joined his hand without saying anything. Cullen hesitated but went along too. "I am no longer Templar officially, I am not bound by rules, but I am still one in morals and I cannot tolerate blood magic."  
"Fine Jowan mumbled."

Leliana took a moment, looked up at Bethany once more before sighing and placing her hand on top of the others'. "Sounds like fun!" She forced a smile. Frankly she was far from sure that this was a good idea, but Varric did have a point that traveling alone only would invite more danger than what they could handle. Besides, if any of these men intended to harm one of the Thea's they could already have done so. She pointed to the tavern and they all agreed to stay one night before heading for their goal.

* * *

_All righty then, and we are back on track. It took some time to get it finished, I've been lazy, but here it is.  
__I'm not sure how dedicated i am right now but i am confident that i will finish the story anyway. I might make shorter chaoters to keep pace.  
Want a spoiler? Okay!  
*Spoiler*  
The next chapter will involve Velanna! _  
*Spoiler over*_

_Cya!_


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